Which NPC Completes this custom party?

I have a sorcerer, a berserker, a fighter/cleric, and an archer. I have Imoen for BG1 for storyline purposes , but I’m considering sacrificing her in bg2 for someone who brings better functional support to the party.

So far, Imoen sounds pretty good. I did want another arcane caster to scribe spells my sorcerer didn’t know. I was worried about having only a multi-class cleric and 2 melee fighters, but it seems like a multi class cleric doesn’t lose out on much vs a pure class. As for melee, the archer seems to balance things without actually being on the front lines. So I may be good in those areas. Plus, Imoen is important to the plot, and I could keep my whole party from Candlekeep on.

I have to wonder about thieving skills though. In late bg2, when you get Imoen, is there any use for thief skills that can’t be replaced with knock? In my experience, there are just a few traps in Athkatla that you absolutely need to disarm during the early in the game. That’s before you can even get Imoen. Am I missing something?

So far, Imoen sounds pretty good. I did want another arcane caster to scribe spells my sorcerer didn’t know. I was worried about having only a multi-class cleric and 2 melee fighters, but it seems like a multi class cleric doesn’t lose out on much vs a pure class. As for melee, the archer seems to balance things without actually being on the front lines. So I may be good in those areas. Plus, Imoen is important to the plot, and I could keep my whole party from Candlekeep on.

I have to wonder about thieving skills though. In late bg2, when you get Imoen, is there any use for thief skills that can’t be replaced with knock? In my experience, there are just a few traps in Athkatla that you absolutely need to disarm during the early in the game. That’s before you can even get Imoen. Am I missing something?

Bring Yoshimo along until Imoen joins. Fits in perfectly with the plot and solves your thief problem!

there is also a ring of lock picking and ring of disarm traps, so if imoen is wearing both of those rings, she will have more than enough lock picks/disarm traps to do any lock or trap, even if she is wearing some sort of elven chain

ring of lock picking:

go through the secret wall at the back right hand side of the shadow thieves building ( the secret wall used to go to aran linvail) when you enter the area, head northish and follow the path all the way ( going pass all the trainees ) keep going until you get to the end room where there is one shadow thief inside, talk to him, and after he gets gibbed pick up the ring

ring of disarm traps:

you will need to enter the planar sphere ( either with valygar, or kill valygar to get his body and use his body ) once in, you will basically have to complete the planar sphere quest and near the end, when you have to put the demon heart into the machine to make the sphere move one more time, at the far right side of the area, there is a little treasure cache there ( this area is very small and you can use the "tab" key to help you find it" )and one of the items is the ring of disarm traps

Most definitely Jan or Imoen. Jan fits perfectly into your party since you obviously lack a thief and you kind of lack another arcane caster as well, to round out your spell selection. Jan is a better thief than Imoen, he can't cast Necromancy spells but probably your sorcerer is taking the best ones from that school.

can knock help you in pickpocketing, detecting illusions, backstabbing, setting traps?i don't think so...imoen is not a thief, is a mage that can help you with traps and locks, jan is a thief, and can stack the 3 rings (the 3rd is sold by a merchant, i don't remember if the one in the copper coronet or the lady in the ribald shop) with his personal gear, so will be as good as a single class thief while being a good support mage. and don't forget to pick the gloves that boost pickpoketing, if you need i can tell you where you find them.imoen in end game is a really strong mage, and your sorcerer will also be a strong caster. In my experience 2 strong arcane casters in the same party are not the good thing that it seems at first sight, the reason is that there is only 1 robe of vecna and only 1 amulet of power.

this is why i suggest you to take jan, as specialist will have plenty of spells to support your sorcerer and being a true thief will give much more utility than just dealing with traps and locks.traps can be a real help in many battles, backstabbing can make some battles against mages end almost at the moment they begin, detect illusions save some spell slots. and pickpocketing? a regeneration ring right at the beginning of the game, good equipment right from the start ( is possible to sell the stuff you buy from the merchants you can not steal from to a fence and then steal it from the fence, so even that stuff comes with a 50% discount), and you can save the wands you find in the first dungeon, sell them to a merchant and steal them back fully charged, are a big help in the beginning when your casters are not so strong.